Ibrahim has family members living near one of the two squares in Cairo that Egyptian army and police cleared the supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi from on Wednesday.

Their action touched off violence across the country between members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi comes, and security forces and those opposed to Morsi.

Ibrahim said his family members are trapped in their homes by the violence.

“My sister-in-law and nephew live one street over from where this took place,” he said. “She is hiding inside the apartment, afraid of the random shooting and the mobs.

“It’s a very dangerous situation for everyone.”

He said they are fine, and he is in regular contact via phone and Skype.

Martial law has been imposed as well as a nighttime curfew, so his family members were forced to stay wherever they were when the violence broke out, Ibrahim said.

Friends who were in Alexandria can’t get back to Cairo because of the road closures, and he’s been told government buildings and churches have been set ablaze.

“Anybody is a target right now,” he said.

Ibrahim’s mother and brother are visiting him right now. His mother was scheduled to fly back to Egypt Wednesday night, but Ibrahim cancelled her flight after seeing news reports of the violence and bloodshed that have rocked the country and resulted in, according to news reports, the death of more than 500 people.

“There were rumours of the airport being closed, and the road to the airport is closed as well,” he said. “I know there are riots and mobs and random shootings as well, so it isn’t the kind of environment I’d like her to go back to.”

Ibrahim said the situation seems to be escalating, “so I’m not sure what may happen and where the future may lead.”

“Everything is unpredictable in this way. I was lucky that this happened while she was here and we were able to call and change her flight.”

Canadians should be concerned about the situation that has erupted in Egypt because it could result in terrorists gaining a foothold in the country, he said.

If that happens, Ibrahim said the passage of oil as well as goods along the Suez canal could be disrupted, and an outflow of refugees to other countries could begin. “It’s affecting the world.”

WORLD REACTION:

Official reaction Thursday from governments around the world to clashes between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi:

UNITED STATES

President Barack Obama cancelled joint U.S.-Egypt military exercises, saying America’s traditional co-operation with Egypt “cannot continue as usual” while violence and instability deepen in the strategically important nation. Obama said his administration would look at possible further steps, but he gave no indication the U.S. planned to cut off its

$1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt.

CANADA

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Andrew Bennett, Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom, call attacks on Christian-based churches in Egypt unconscionable. And they say Egyptian authorities need to protect worshippers. “We are concerned by recent attacks on religious institutions in Egypt, in particular the unconscionable attacks on Coptic Orthodox, and Anglican churches, and on Baptist and Franciscan institutions,” the statement reads.

IRAN

Iran’s new president is calling on the Egyptian army to stop “suppressing” the Egyptian people. “I warn Egypt’s military that Egyptians are a great and freedom-seeking nation. Do not suppress them,” President Hasan Rouhani in a speech in parliament broadcast live on Iranian state TV. He condemned what he said was army “brutality.”

RUSSIA

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens to refrain from travelling to Egypt. The Russian Tourism Board had estimated that up to 60,000 Russian travellers were now in Egypt. Russian tourists have been advised to avoid big cities and rallies but diplomats have not urged Russians to stay away from the country altogether.

TURKEY

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West of ignoring violence in Egypt and called on the UN Security Council to meet urgently to discuss the situation. Erdogan also said Egypt’s leaders should stand trial “in a fair and transparent way” for what he termed a “massacre.”

FRANCE

French President Francois Hollande summoned Egypt’s ambassador and said “everything must be done to avoid civil war.” Hollande also said he “condemned in the strongest way possible the bloody violence in Egypt and demanded the immediate end to the repression.

“The liberation of prisoners, while respecting the ongoing judicial procedures, could constitute a first step toward renewing negotiations,” Hollande added.